Very few high school students can say they own a car from 1961. Even fewer students boast about rebuilding a car from 1961. One of those few attends FCS. Junior Brynnor Poplin drives a 1961 Land Rover Series 2A. The car, originally owned by Poplin’s great grandfather, Euell Smith, sat unused for 26 years until it was restored.

Since the Land Rover weathered the elements for so long, restoring it required much time and effort. Both Brynnor and his father, Timothy Poplin, spent over 1,ooo hours on this project.

Timothy, ‘96, a Fresno Christian graduate, owned the car previously. His grandfather, Smith, worked with him to fix it up in 1995-1996. At the time, the rover functioned poorly, leading to its temporary decommission. Timothy was excited to be able to work on the car with his son.

“This car is a family heirloom,” Timothy said. “My grandpa drove it and passed it on to me. I drove it in high school and always had dreams of restoring it with my own boy someday. Blood, sweat, and tears literally went into this build. The time spent working alongside Brynnor created memories I will always cherish.”

While he had fun over all, Brynnor experienced situations along the way. Some of these problems required a work around or a delay in productivity. The motor was one of the said problems.

“There was a lot of difficulty when we were fixing the rover up,” Brynnor said. “Rebuilding the motor the right way was the hardest part. We had the motor together then we realized after some research we had the wrong piston rings on one cylinder. We had to take the motor almost completely apart again.”

While a number of parts originally came for other vehicles, the general look of the rover remains the same as the original. In order to restore the vehicle, Timothy and Brynnor stripped the car down to the frame, before rebuilding it from the ground up.

Both father and son invested much into this project. An estimated two years and $11,000 contributed to their success. Brynnor now drives the rover all over town while younger brother Colby works on his own rover rebuild in hopes to drive soon.

Brynnor’s car became very popular with his friends. One of those friends, Maxwell Hinton, ‘22, enjoys riding in the rover. Hinton describes the experience and complements Brynnor’s work in restoring it.

“Brynnor’s car is fun and a one of a kind experience to ride in,” Hinton said. “It is nice to see it up and running after hearing about progress over the years. Feel free to ask him for a ride he would love to take you for a spin!”

Not the most convenient car choice for a new driver, Brynnor and Timothy knew the sentiment mattered over practicality. The Land Rover presents a continuous project that keeps the Poplin boys busy. This car serves as a constant reminder of their great-grandpa Smith and a token of his memory.

Do you have a dream rebuild? Perhaps a car that if given the opportunity you would love to restore? Leave a comment below to share your restoration story.

For more articles, read podcasting creates connections through universal challenges, and resilience through internment

Video created and edited by Micah Friesen and Carson Imbrie.

Brayden Iest can be reached via Twitter and email.